Davis: Technological advances

Sue Davis, Journal-Advocate columnist

Posted:
01/22/2013 12:08:05 PM MST

Sue Davis, Journal-Advocate columnist

Technology is great to a certain extent. It's wonderful to have a cell phone and not be totally dependent on a home telephone connected to a cord that restricts movement. On the other hand, it is heavenly to be camping in the wilderness and never hear a telephone ring. Many feel as though they can't live without technology, though.

My husband and I resisted getting an answering machine after watching relatives race into our house to use our phone to call their home's answering machine just to hear what messages they'd missed. We never signed up for "call waiting," or "call-rudeness" to us. There was or is nothing more irritating than talking to someone on the phone only to have the person on the other end say, "Oh, I gotta go, I have another call." Apparently, any incoming call is much more important than the current phone conver-sation.

I think what is so sad, though, is that cell phones are taking away common friendliness and communication. My sister commented on something recently: "Last week I noticed something so sad. There was one man in the doctor's waiting area at 1:30. Gradually other people started coming in; at 2:15 there were eight patients waiting. I looked around as I was playing a game on my phone; every person there had a phone they were staring at. Although I kept looking around and smiled at people as they entered the room, no one else did.

"Remember when we could actually strike up a conversation with other people at the doctor's office? Not now.

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Everyone was totally involved with their phones. However, the one person who benefited from this was the receptionist. She smiled politely at people when they came in then didn't take another look at them or them at her! No angry stares or huffs because the doctor was 45 minutes late! Technology has definitely taken over the lives of those who have let it."

Then there was the texting driver who jumped the curb and hit a person. It makes me wonder if the person on the sidewalk could have avoiding getting hit if he hadn't been texting? As my sis said, "We have come so far with computers, cell phones, smart phones, or other technology, but has it always been for our good?"

Conversely, it was good to have our cell phones the year we attended a nephew's wedding in Las Vegas a few days after my father-in-law scheduled double knee surgery. I know it was a comfort for family to call and "vent" a little when things didn't go as planned but it also kept us updated as to how things were going until we got home and could see for ourselves what was transpiring.

I was saddened but excited that two of my granddaughters received iPhones for Christmas. So far, they just have games so can't text or call with them. But, I wonder how long it'll be before their noses are buried in those small hand-held devices because they'd rather spend time with technology than with Gramma and Grampa? On the other hand, maybe they'll text us. This technologically-challenged granny does text!

My youngest son, a former IT specialist, tried to use his dad's old cell phone yesterday and it frustrated him to no end. Grumblingly, he said, "This phone is too simple!"

Personally, I love my sister's take. As she pointed out, there are electronic calling devices of every shape, form, color and intelligence. There's even one called a "smart phone." But, she really wonders just how intelligent hers really is: " I have a smart phone but it never tells me where it is when it is missing!"

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